Top 10 Best & Worst
Family Shows on Network Television

1996-97 TV Season

FOX &
NBC LEAST FAMILY-FRIENDLY NETWORKS

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
- Today the Parents Television Council (PTC) released its annual findings of the Top 10
Least Family-Friendly and the Most Family-Friendly shows on prime time television. These
lists are based on the 1996-97 season of network prime time entertainment television.

"It was much easier coming
up with a list of the least family-friendly programs, proving once again that the vast
majority of the prime time schedule is not suitable for family viewing - including those
shows which air during the former, 'Family Hour.' However, there are some jewels in this
sea of gratuitous sex and vulgar language. Our Top 10 list of family-friendly shows
illustrates the fact that storylines do not need to be full of sex and obscenities to
attract audiences," said Mark Honig, Executive Director of the Parents Television
Council.

The Top
Ten Least Family-Friendly Shows for the
1996-97 Television Season

1. Married
....With Children (Fox) Married again leads the list of least family-friendly
programs. During its final season on the air (thankfully), the "Bundys," for a
short while, brought their disgusting brand of "family values," which included
insulting other family members, crude jokes, and bathroom humor, to young viewers at 7:00
p.m. Sundays.

2. Men
Behaving Badly (NBC) This raunch-o-rama about two beer-swilling
slobs in their twenties who routinely engage in premarital sex and use
foul language is inappropriate for children and teens at any hour.
Moreover, in a slap in the face to American families, NBC has
moved this celebration of slovenly lifestyles to 8:00 p.m. Sundays this
fall.

3. Cybill
(CBS) This sitcom is littered with foul language and sexual innuendo, and has
featured storylines involving phone sex, masturbation and oral sex. The institution of
marriage is constantly ridiculed and casual sex condoned.

4. Friends
(NBC) In its second year leading off the peacock network's powerful Thursday
night lineup, Friends remains randy, its cast of six attractive Manhattanites consistently
glorifying premarital sex. Moreover, with few exceptions, this show was rated
"TV-PG" under the new industry guidelines, indicating (falsely) that it was
suitable for older children and teens, and that most of the material was appropriate for
younger viewers, which it simply is not.

5. Spin City
(ABC) Foul language, sex, and innuendo are staples of this
Michael J. Fox vehicle, which ABC will inappropriately move to 8:00
o'clock next
season. Storylines include masturbation, erections, and orgasms. With one
of the main characters being gay, frank discussions often take place
centering on the dating and relationship methods of homosexuals versus
those of heterosexuals.

6. High
Incident (ABC) This 8:00 p.m. police drama is more violent than its late-hour
counterparts NYPD Blue, Homicide, or Law & Order. Blood, whether from gunfire, stab
wounds, fisticuffs, or other means, is a weekly staple. The final episode was a bloody and
violent reenactment of the recent North Hollywood bank robbery and ensuing shootout.

7. Melrose
Place (Fox) Prime time's sexiest soap continues to glamorize promiscuity without
depicting the consequences of such behavior. Characters regularly engage in premarital and
extramarital sex and, in the season finale, the show comes out in favor of gay adoption,
the lone gay character taking custody of his dead brother's daughter.

8. Beverly
Hills 90210 (Fox) The season finale of this teen-targeted soap saw its last
remaining virgin ready to succumb to her sexual impulses. Moreover, the other college-aged
characters continue their promiscuous lifestyles, none suffering any consequences of their
behavior. Dialogue during this 8:00 p.m. show often contains foul language.

9. Life's
Work (ABC) This now-canceled 8:30 p.m. show regularly featured
sexual innuendo and foul language, including the f-word. One particularly
obnoxious episode featured a workplace discussion of a man masturbating
against a tree.

10.
Millennium (Fox) Millennium is one of the most disturbing shows on television.
Storylines feature frank discussions and graphic depictions of gratuitous violence and
human suffering. A decapitation, a man set on fire, and women having their vocal chords
ripped out of their throats are but a few examples from this gruesome program.

The Top
Ten Most Family-Friendly Shows for 1996-97

1. Touched By an Angel
(CBS) This top 10 hit is never shy about promoting traditional values such as
goodness over evil, the power of prayer, forgiveness, the need to strengthen familial
relationships, individual responsibility, and the importance of maintaining faith in God.
The underlying theme in every episode focuses on God's unconditional love.

2. Second Noah (ABC)
Sadly, Noah, one of prime time's most family-friendly shows, was canceled
early in the season. Fans of the show will long remember it for showcasing
respect for parental authority, a family that sticks together through
adversity, the repercussions of teen
sex, and the benefits of adoption.

3. Promised Land (CBS)
This Touched By an Angel spin-off showcases a family always willing to make personal
sacrifices for the good of the entire family. Faith in God and His plan and the importance
of education are woven into each episode.

4. 7th Heaven (WB)
The new hit of WB's family-friendly line-up, 7th Heaven features prime time's most
positive portrayal of a cleric. Storylines promote honesty, respect for parental
authority, and the importance of a strong family and a good education.

5. Early Edition (CBS)
This feel-good hit of last season stresses the positive impact that one person can have
when they choose to do good with a gift from God. Rather than use his knowledge of the
next day's news for personal gain, the show's protagonist demonstrates that self-sacrifice
can bring its own riches.

6. Home Improvement (ABC)
This top 10 hit proves sitcoms don't need sex, foul language, and innuendo to attract an
audience. A strong family and marriage, honesty, respect for parental authority, and the
importance of education are recurring themes.

7. Dr. Quinn, Medicine
Woman (CBS) This long-running drama continues to promote the institution of
marriage and the importance of family. Traditional values like honesty, compassion,
respect for parental authority, and a strong work ethic are also frequent themes.

8. The Parent 'Hood (WB)
This sitcom features parents who instill in their children that integrity,
self-discipline, and a good education are the keys to a successful future. Family loyalty,
premarital celibacy, and the positive impact of having a father in the household are also
accentuated.

9. Cosby (CBS)
Bill Cosby's return to prime time was a welcome sight to American families. His latest
sitcom showcases a loving marriage and underscores the importance of family and friends,
and the repercussions of mischievous behavior.

10. Family Matters (ABC)
The cornerstone of ABC's TGIF line-up for many years will move to CBS this fall. Family
Matters promotes respect for parental authority, abstaining from premarital sex, and the
positive impact of a loving marriage on the entire family.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.